Colrain Central School News
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November 18, 2022
A Note From Mrs. Looman
- Grynn & Barrett has scheduled our Picture Retake Day for Wednesday, Jan. 11th at 9:00 am. We do not yet know when the pictures taken last month will be delivered.
- If you are looking for a way to become more involved with the school, there is an open seat on the Local Education Committee (LEC). The LEC is an advisory committee to the principal which advises on portions of the School Improvement Plan, the budget, and other issues pertaining to the school. We meet once per month for an hour, typically on the second Tuesday of the month from 3:30-4:30. If you are interested in serving, please let me know.
- Below you will see information about a bunch of different opportunity for your child to participate in winter sports. If you have questions, please reach out to the contact person for that particular sport.
- Do you have any extra clothes or shoes that you no longer need? Nurse Viney can always use donations, especially sneakers and winter gear in the health office.
- On November 29th, we will be conducting an announced lockdown drill. Much like fire drills, this allows us to practice what to do in the event of an emergency. Prior to the drill, teachers will discuss it with their classes, explaining what will happen and what students will need to do. This is all done in a developmentally appropriate way. The police will also be available after the drill if any student has questions or wants to talk with them.
- Due to the short week next week, there will be no weekly newsletter. To those of you celebrating, Happy Thanksgiving and to all of you, I hope you enjoy the long weekend with those you love. I remain honored to serve your families and especially your children.
Can we help?
The specialist's scoop; Kari A. Lyden, M.S., CCC-SLP - Licensed Speech/Language Pathologist
“Generation Z,” or “dot com kids,” refers to those born between 1997 and 2015, who typically like to communicate through images, media, and video. Here are some characteristics of Gen Z, and strategies that may work for their learning styles:
Visual learners
Don’t lecture or rely on “telling” what to do - use videos, hands-on, checklists/charts, etc.
Example: Make a game of picking up with your preK student by saying “bye” in a funny voice to their toys as they put them away, rather than simply telling them to clean up.
Example: Use a sticker chart to help your child keep track of the routines, expectations, etc., so they can see what they have done/still need to do.
Collaborative
Provide opportunities for group work, discussion, etc., rather than expecting a single outcome
Example: Rather than telling your school-age child to wash the dishes, ask them how they want to split the chores with you and explain why.
Connected
Give them a purpose, and connect them to the goal in a meaningful way
Example: Explain the reasoning behind “have tos,” like “we have to sweep up crumbs, or we might get ants!” - and then use YouTube to search videos about ant infestations in homes.
Adapted from Stead, A. (2021). Working with Students and Patients from Generation Z. SpeechPathology.com, Article 20453. Available from www.speechpathology.com
PTO News
The next PTO meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 6th at 3:30pm.
The Children's Shopping Room will be open Monday, Dec. 12 after school and Tuesday, Dec. 13th during the day. More details to come!
Basketball
We have had someone graciously offer to coach skills and drill for our 1st and 2nd grade kids! So if you have a child in 1st or 2nd grade and they are interested in learning Basketball here is the registration link. If you have any questions please email colrain.ma.sports@gmail.com
Ski & Snowboard Club
upcoming events
11/23: Roger Tincknell Performance, 12:30 dismissal
11/24 & 11/25: No school in observance of Thanksgiving
11/28: Drawing for the cordwood fundraiser for 5/6th grades
11/29: Lockdown drill
November early release dates:
12:30 dismissals: 11/23
The district Literacy Leadership Team is excited to share more about our newly adopted literacy curriculums, EL Education and Wit & Wisdom:
The EL Education curriculum is in place in K-6 classrooms across our districts. EL Education believes student success is based on mastery of knowledge and skills, character, and high-quality work. Some of the underlying principles of the program include equity for all learners, communication, collaboration and respect, student engagement, and student ownership of their work. In K-2 the emphasis is on oral language development. Students are engaged in daily read-alouds, songs, and poems. In Grades 3-5 students are working on reading complex text, writing, and exploring real-world issues. Sixth graders will be exposed to current topics and texts that encourage students to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use as active citizens working for social justice, environmental stewardship, and healthy, equitable communities.
In middle school, for 7th and 8th grades, we are using the ELA curriculum from Wit & Wisdom, which has strong literary choices, art integration, and, of course, a focus on deep reading and writing skills. We have also implemented a WIN (What I Need) literacy period two days a week where students are grouped based on their reading comprehension needs (as determined by assessments performed three times per year). This period is focused on increasing reading comprehension for all students from most beginning to the most advanced.
To support strong curriculum implementation, and to monitor student progress, our teachers work in teams to learn about the curriculums, reading instruction and their students. Teachers engage in professional development from curriculum specialists, Hill for Literacy consultants, and our district Literacy coach. We have district-wide data meetings five times per year to focus on student outcomes. Instructional leadership teams in each school use learning walks to observe classroom instruction and identify areas for instructional improvement and celebration.
In the coming months we will be looking for your feedback about the communication you’ve received about the literacy work in the district. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher or principal if you have any questions about the new curriculum or literacy learning, in general.
From MTRSD Special Education Department
During the week of December 13, 2022, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts. The Office of Public School Monitoring visits each district and charter school every three years to monitor compliance with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations. Areas of review related to special education include student assessments, determination of eligibility, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team process, and IEP development and implementation. Areas of review related to civil rights include bullying, student discipline, physical restraint, and equal access to school programs for all students.
In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The review chairperson from the Office of Public School Monitoring will send all parents of students with disabilities an online survey that focuses on key areas of their child’s special education program. Survey results will contribute to the development of a report. During the onsite review, the Office of Public School Monitoring will interview the chairperson(s) of the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Other onsite activities may include interviews of district staff and administrators, reviews of student records, and onsite observations.
Parents and other individuals may call Marc Oldenburg, Public School Monitoring Chairperson, at 413-314-6703 to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, the Department will make the necessary arrangements.
Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the (district or charter school) with a report with information about areas in which the (district or charter school) meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the (district or charter school) requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The public will be able to access the report at http://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/reports/.